Today we learned about some more compensatory apps - making knowledge accessible to all learners despite any disabilities they might have. As before, the idea of UDL - Universal Design for Learning - is central. The apps must be easy to use, and easy to incorporate into a curriculum right at the planning stage.
As I mentioned in my last blog, the features of the iPad itself (and now we are at iOS 7) are key to its successful integration in the classroom. We learned how to use the accessibility options in the settings tab to change voice over, zoom, speak selection, closed captioning and guided access functions.
I have to say I am beginning to feel a little overwhelmed with all the apps, especially since now we are learning that the apps we talked about just last week have already been supplanted by newer, better ones! I am definitely going to use iPads in my classroom next year, with selected students. But my time to download, learn - and then have my students learn - new apps is very limited. I would like to have just one or two really good apps that we use in a consistent, regular fashion.
In our i-Tunes course on Apps for Reluctant Readers that we are creating, it is tempting to suggest hundreds and hundreds of apps, since there are hundreds out there, and they have already been sorted out and described on many websites. Instead, we are going to focus on just the 20 that we think are most useful.
Sometimes, less is more.
Kate, don't get too overwhelmed! Your action plan is bang on. Just start with one app, become familiar with it, teach it to someone, and use it in your class. Then learn another one:) I think you will find that as you progress through the learning about several apps that you will get better and better. You will be and iPad app pro before you know it!!!
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